Star Wars fans have likely all seen the photo of George Lucas on the set of The Mandalorian, cradling Baby Yoda like a proud grandfather, but there is something about that slightly blurry snapshot that they don’t know. Just out of frame stood another beloved galactic figure who until then had only existed in animation—Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano.
Her casting was long rumored online, but no one else got to see her as the Force wielder with the blue and white headtails and twin lightsabers until last Friday’s new episode of the Disney+ series.
That chapter—“The Jedi”—not only unveiled the live-action, grown-up version of the The Clone Wars and Rebels hero, but also dropped new information about Baby Yoda’s past and hinted at another fan-favorite Star Wars figure, Grand Admiral Thrawn, who may appear in the future.
Dawson and Dave Filoni, the writer-director of the episode who developed Ahsoka with Lucas during their years working together in animation, spoke exclusively with Vanity Fair about the biggest revelations—from the Child’s name and backstory, to the reason for setting the story on a wildfire-stricken planet. Dawson also addressed a lingering personal controversy that has concerned many fans of Ahsoka.
Read the entire Vanity Fair article HERE.
